Busy season is the time of year when you and your coworkers cram into a vehicle and take a road trip. The journey has weekly durations of 50-100 plus hours, depending on your firm. As you are rolling along on this road trip, there are laughs, antics, and frustrations. This adventure culminates in a happy hour on deadline day when you recount the journey that just occurred.
A few tips on handling these ups and downs can make the difference between a good and bad season.
Tax season is an emotional roller coaster. I have seen colleagues display a range of emotions, including happiness, frustration, stress, indifference, anger, and relief. Most accountants will feel some or all of these emotions during tax season, and some may experience all of them.
At times, stress, frustration, or anger can cause people to misconstrue an email or say something that normally would have been merely a thought. This can lead to bigger situations such as open arguments, passive-aggressive email chains, or bottled-up resentment.
To avoid a costly episode of road rage, provide coaching and mentoring to personnel surrounding conflict resolution. The ability to effectively manage conflicts and resolve issues is key to managing a department’s success. The coaching/mentoring can be either completed in house or by a qualified third party. Conflict resolution tools will help team members bring issues to light in a constructive manner so that the team can come together and solve the issue. This will improve team communication and help everyone work together more effectively.
Busy season is inevitably filled with potholes. Some of these are small and can be traversed with ease. Others are large, obvious, and can usually be avoided with planning. Yet, the potholes we tend to encounter during our busiest times are those that appear without warning and tend to cause the most angst and frustration. These can include new clients arriving late in busy season, information from clients arriving last minute, employees moving on to new opportunities, the death of a family member, and coworker or client health issues.
When an issue arises, such as an employee leaving the firm shortly before a deadline, quickly assess the situation and communicate the information necessary for others to continue to do their jobs. Staff are often frustrated when they feel information has not been disseminated quickly enough. They feel less in control of their work life when they believe they are left in the dark. Frustration due to communication breakdowns leads to a lack of trust between those working in the trenches and the executive group. If communication does break down, review the causes and assess what could have been done to prevent the problem. Effective communication will allow a department’s staff to feel like they are a part of the process and will help soften the blow of an unforeseen event.
Busy season is always a time of the “Go, Go, Go” mentality. The pedal is to the metal and we are cranking out tax returns or plowing through a tax provision to meet a deadline. Our to-do lists are lengthy and seem to expand as the season goes on.
At times, we tend to speed our way through our busy season to-do lists without any pit stops. We work, work, work, racking up billable hour after billable hour without pausing. The pace is unsustainable, and wear and tear will eventually show. Fatigue manifests itself differently in each coworker, and if you have worked with someone long enough, you know the signs. Some people laugh hysterically, some cry silently, some look agitated, and others walk about the office like a creature out of AMC’s The Walking Dead.
Your body and mind are finely tuned machines that need regular maintenance. All of us have needs that should be met, most of all during our busiest times. Whether it’s working out or spending time with your significant other or family, take time out to fulfill those needs.
When colleagues show signs of extreme fatigue, encourage them to take a night off or a weekend day to recharge. Do not sit idly by while a coworker suffers from burnout or frustration. Lead by example and lend a hand to those who seem to be fatigued, or share your observations of employee fatigue with the appropriate personnel. If you are in a management position, create opportunities for those being less utilized. To do this, compare billable hours between people of a similar skill set or experience and identify projects that can be shifted away from current load bearers.
People are the greatest resource of an accounting practice and should be coached and encouraged to professionally recharge when needed. The worst thing that can happen to a firm is a mass exodus of talent and experience due to preventable burnout. With many other stressed drivers on the road during your trip, there are bound to be a few fender benders. These accidents are usually attributable to issues such as being tired, preoccupied, or speeding through and not paying attention to one’s surroundings.
When a mistake is made, the first thing to do is stay calm and then evaluate the issue for a solution. Once a solution has been found, quickly implement it and move on. Dwelling on a problem is not going to make the situation better. You don’t want the individual who caused the problem to be so busy staring in the rear view mirror that they cause another issue.
The best thing that can come from a mistake is that the person understands what went wrong and how to avoid making the same mistake again. When giving feedback, make sure the method is appropriate and the information is timely. Most importantly, make sure the person is ready and willing to accept the feedback. The growth of a firm is highly contingent upon the growth of its employees.
Each advisor’s mileage will vary during this time, but always take time during your journey to enjoy the landscape and your surroundings. Say “Thank You” and show appreciation to others who have helped you along the way. Understanding that everyone is on the same journey is an important element of a successful season.
Christopher W. Dodd, CPA
Tax Manager with PKF Texas
cdodd@pkftexas.com